My brave little baby
by Papaverus
Summary: Ugh so this was based from a weird AU post thing I saw on tumblr but for some reason I can't post a link to the post in this summary (?) So yeah this is now just completely meaningless and weird without the post so I'm just gonna leave it here bye.


"_Tony Stark! Can you tell the people of America what it's like being Iron Man?"_

"_How are you coping after the recent events in Manhattan?"_

"_Is it true Loki's most recent victim was a child?"_

It was late when Tony got back from the press conference. _Really _late. He landed on the roof and had Jarvis strip off his armour. He loved the little buzzes and whirring noises it made as the hydraulic arms pulled the intricate metal plates from his body. _Man I really need a shower._ Wearing a tux inside the Iron Man suit made him sweat a bunch, and by the time Tony had walked into the lounge at the top of Stark Tower, beads of perspiration had dripped all the way down his face. _Pfft I can shower later; I've got work to do._

There were some serious modifications he needed to make to his armour. Journalists had been prattling on to him all evening, but all he could think about was getting back to his workshop and tweaking his gadgets. He carelessly tossed his suit jacket on to the couch, loosened his necktie and proceeded down to the basement. As he was nearing the end of the steps he heard a small whimpering sound. _Wait… is someone in there?_

Jarvis's voice boomed through the house. _**"I sincerely recommend that you do not enter the workshop at this moment in time"**_.

"Sh*t! Jarvis don't scare me like that!" Tony yelped, his heart racing. _What the hell is going on? I've had enough craziness lately with the kid business, I just want to go and relax for a while._ Everything had been so hectic recently, Loki's second attack and everything that had been going on with Clint and Tasha. _I feel like maybe I should do something for those guys. Nah, I'm sure Pepper has done something nice for them. How am I even supposed to comfort superspies? _ _I thought their whole deal was that they didn't have feelings. Well sh*t, obviously they do or they wouldn't have-_

"_**Sir you are loitering, like I said, I strongly recommend you go back up stairs and take a shower"**_

Geez Jarvis was acting really odd. "Look Jarvis, it's my workshop and I'm going in…"

Tony yanked the handle… It wouldn't budge. "Hey buddy? Mind explaining why I can't get into my own damn room?" Tony called to the computer.

"_**The workshop is currently occupied. " **_

_Ok that's it. _"Jarvis open this door right now, or I'm turning you off" Tony said, his voice threatening.

"_**As you wish"**_

Tony swore he heard the computer sigh. _Time to find out what all that fuss was about…_

Tony entered, the lights in the workshop flickering on. He instantly saw the fuss. _Aw dammit Jarvis! Why did you have to let me in?_

Natasha Romanoff was sat in the far corner of his study, curled up in a pool of scattered wine bottles. As Tony stepped forward he accidentally nudged one with his foot and it went clattering towards the mourning spy. For a second, all that could be heard in the room was the soft _clink_ of glass bottles tapping against one another. _What the hell is she doing here?_ That's when he saw the bundle Black Widow was cradling in her arms. _The suit. Merida…_

The lonely spider ceased her sobbing for an instant, and peered up at Tony with grief-stricken eyes.

"Tasha…" he trailed off. Tony had no idea what to do with grieving women, especially this one. If came any closer he was afraid she would jump up, execute some kind of ninja move and brake his neck.

He looked down at the little jade prototype suit Natasha was clutching so fiercely. It had been two months since Merida had disappeared into the void with Loki. She'd walked up to him, more fearlessly than Nick Fury, and started grabbing his leg and giggling. She was three, usually as silent as her father, always watching with those beautiful aqua blue eyes, but for some reason she was completely fascinated with that Norse f*cker. Merida had followed him, her peals of laughter ringing like bells, and started tugging on his stupid cape. Tony had brooded over the security tapes for hours, as if he could discern some magical way of bringing her back. Heck, with Norse gods and frozen super heroes popping up all over the place, anything could happen. Loki had shrieked when she touched him, but then his face had moulded into that sickly grin. He'd watched that malicious smirk form a hundred times on the camera, and each time it had made him more and more furious.

Reaching up with her dainty arms, Merida had smiled so innocently. A part of Tony blamed himself. _If she didn't spend so much time here, hanging around a bunch of weirdos like us, she wouldn't have been so comfortable with strangely dressed adults. She would have stayed in her room, or cried out, or…_

Not looked so chirpy as the ancient Norse lunatic had picked her up and taken her with him to god knows where.

Natasha was rocking back and forth amongst the shattered glass fragments, vacantly gazing at nothing, cuddling the cold metal child and muttering some that sounded eerily like a lullaby in Russian.

Tears sprung to Tony's eyes. He let them fall from his face to join the multitude of tears and wine drops already on his pristine floor.

"We're gonna get her back, Tasha." Tony whispered.

_We are going to find Merida, no matter what._


End file.
